The Best Book..............

Some time ago I was at, Big Lot's, looking for some containers and I stumbled upon the book area because I like to read and cook. To my surprise I found this book and skimmed through it and thought to myself....I would love to try these recipes. So 2 years have gone by and guess what I just opened it and tried one for the first time.....it's the best. So easy to follow with pictures and detailed instructions. I'm soooo loving it right now. I made the vanilla cake......it smells good and taste even better. This cake has the nicest texture, flavor and is wonderful. And the best part was that I only paid like $5 for the book when it cost like $40. Yeah I know.....why did I wait so long to open it. I'm very sure you can find it on, Amazon, for close to that price, even if it's more it's worth it. Some recipes include cakes, breads, custards, glazes, icings, phyllo pastries the list goes on and it's doesn't call for 1,000 ingredients if you know what I mean.It has so much useful information on conversions and measurements, how to do things the right way, forget taking a pastry chef course if you have the book and can follow it then your set. If your a visual learner then your outta luck. Well I guess I must say I'm going gourmet all fresh and all from scratch even if cost me more but it taste so much better! Hope you guys can find a copy of your own. I will attach the link for Amazon looks like they have used ones starting at $11.06 plus shipping. Great deal!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0471450952/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1305861879&sr=8-1&condition=used

Best Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Cake!

I'm not a chocolate lover, but I have to say I have never had a better piece of chocolate cake than this. I came across this recipe after opening up a Hershey's cocoa powder. For Christmas, I had to make desert for dinner at mom's and I made it. To my surprise it was the best, so I have decided to post it on my blog so you can try it. It has this nice cocoa flavor, not too chocolaty if you know what I mean, but yummmm it's good. Very moist you'll love it and it's so easy to make. Once you try it, post your comments and let me know what you think.

Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake

2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8" round pans (your choice).

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans and bake for 30-35 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost as you wish, enjoy.

Makes 30 cupcakes or 2 8"or 9" cakes.

Authentic Tres Leches cake & recipe

I'm not a huge fan of these cakes, I'll have it here and there but I have come across a very good recipe and just had to share it with you. I'm making a tres leches cake for my nephew tomorrow (preschool graduation). I have started to make the cake and soak it with the milks then put it in the refrigerator today so I can decorate it tomorrow. That's how it should be done, so that you give it plenty of time to soak in and grab all the flavor. So this cookbook I got from Mexico, well not me but a relative brought it as a gift. I've added a little rum extract to mine, you don't have too, but since I'm not adding a filling I wanted to do that. So here it goes and I really hope you try it, very easy to make and really good too.

Ingredients:

Vanilla Genoise (cake)

8 eggs (separated)
2 0z. butter room temp (1/2 stick)
3/4 cup sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Tres leches:

1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups of condensed milk
1 cup of half & half
1/3 cup rum or 1 tbs rum extract (optional)

Chantilly Cream

2 cups of whipping cream
8 tbs of powdered sugar (sifted)
1/2 tbs vanilla extract


Directions for Genoise:

In a mixer on high speed beat (balloon whisk) egg whites until stiff peaks form. Remove from mixer and set aside in a separate bowl. In your mixer on high speed again beat (balloon whisk) your yolks and sugar and mix until thick & creamy, add vanilla and butter. Sift your flour and baking powder in another bowl. Slowly fold dry ingredients and yolk mixture into egg whites, alternating them until well combined. Grease and flour 8" pan and bake on 350 for 30-40 minutes. Using a toothpick in center to check if it's done. Remove and let cool on cooling rack.

Directions for Tres Leches:

Combine all 3 milks and rum (optional) in a blender and blend on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Once your cake has cooled return to baking pan and prick with a toothpick/skewer. Slowly add your milk using a large spoon to push down on cake so that milk is absorbed into cake. Once you've done that cover top of pan with foil and put in refrigerator overnight.

Directions for Chantilly cream:

In a mixer on high speed (balloon whisk) beat together heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. You are now ready to turn your cake over onto a covered board and decorate using the Chantilly cream. You can add fresh fruit topping to your cake if you'd like or decorate it any way you want. Enjoy!

Flan de crema

Well, since we didn't do anything special for Easter but clean house and be lazy. I treated myself and kids to, Flan de crema. I got the recipe from a friend some time back and I make my flan like this all the time. It's a hit and everyone really likes it. I will post the recipe for you guys to make and tell me how you like it.

Recipe for Flan de crema

1 can evaporated milk

1 can condensed milk

1 cup of whole milk

6 eggs

1 box (8oz) of cream cheese

Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar for syrup

Pre-heat to 375.

In a blender, blend all ingredients except sugar until smooth. In the meantime in a small saucepan put in your 1 cup of sugar on med-high until it turns into syrup (do not add water).

Syrup should be a caramel color. Once done immediately pour syrup into your baking pan coating the entire bottom. Now you can add the blended ingredients to the pan. Cover top of pan tightly with foil and cook in bain marie (double broiler method) making sure the water in the bottom comes up halfway to the flan pan. Cook for 1 hour. Once done, remove from oven let cool before putting in refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve chilled.

My Empanadas

These are addictive little things, you just want to eat one after another. They are the easiest thing to make too. I will post recipe so you can make them and let me know what you think. I filled them with strawberry preserves, that's all I had at the moment but you can fill them with anything. We call them empanadas or turnovers same thing. I don't fry them. I know some do me...I bake.. I love to bake. Ok so here's the recipe.

Dough:

2 cups flour

1 stick of butter (softened)

1 8 oz. box of cream cheese (softened)

Filling:

1 tsp. fruit preserve

To make the dough you need to combine all three ingredients and knead for about 3-5 minutes until well mixed. Dough should be soft not sticky. Break it up in 3 parts and roll out aprox. 3/16 inch thick (like a thick flour tortilla). Using a tall drinking glass or a 3"round cutter cut your circles, fill with 1 tsp of fruit preserve of your choice (apricot, pineapple, strawberry...) fold in half and use fork to close pushing down to crimp. Preheat oven to 375. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 min. As soon as they come out of oven you can dip them in, granulated sugar while hot (optional).

I told you they were the easiest thing and you don't need a ton of ingredients. Enjoy!

Delicious Brazo Gitano

This is the best roll ever! Ok, it's called, "Brazo Gitano" aka, jelly roll. I found this recipe online and was hesitant to try because it was a chocolate roll, and I don't really like chocolate but after trying this I love chocolate. I ate the whole thing, it made me sick, but I still like it. Imagine this....chocolate sponge roll filled with fresh sweet whipped cream and a little rum....that's what this is. Death by Brazo Gitano. I will attach the recipe but you have to make it and tell me what you think. It's the best!

Brazo Gitano

5 eggs separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp sifted confectioner sugar

Filling

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 tsp rum extract
1 tbsp superfine sugar

Beat yolks & 1/4 cup sugar until thick. Stir in flour, cocoa and vanilla extract mix well.
Whip egg whites until stiff not dry. Fold into yolks and flour mixture. Line and grease 15x8 pan. Bake at 350 x 15 min. Cool for 5 min before rolling in sugar dusted towel.

For filling: combine whipped cream, sugar and rum extract and whip until peaks form.
Fill the cooled roll with whipped cream and voila.....brazo gitano.